Pre-trip team Lisa Fujimoto PA, Paulina Andujo RN, Roberto Balmaseda MD, William Long MD, and Matt Sandusky

We - Dr. William Long, Paulina Andujo, Matt Sandusky, and Lisa Fujimoto-Yamaguchi - recently returned from our pre-trip to Cuba, an important step in preparing for our upcoming mission later this year. These pre-trips are essential because they allow us to make sure everything is in place so that when the full team arrives, we can immediately focus on what matters most: the patients. 

Although we have been to the Fructuoso Rodríguez Orthopedic Hospital in Havana, Cuba, many times before, we always conduct a pre-trip to confirm that everything is in working order. This includes carefully reviewing X-rays to ensure we bring the correct implant types and sizes for our patients. While we were there, we toured the hospital, made sure all necessary equipment was functioning properly, and spent meaningful time with the local medical team. All of this helps us prepare thoroughly so we can deliver the best possible care. 

One of the highlights of the trip was reconnecting with Dr. Roberto Balmaseda, Orthopedic surgeon and hospital director. Dr. Balmaseda has been a dedicated partner of Operation Walk since our very first mission to Cuba nearly 30 years ago. His ongoing leadership, support, and deep commitment to this work are vital to making each mission possible. We are truly grateful for the strong partnership we’ve built with him over the years. 

We also used this visit to finalize logistics for the team, researching hotels, restaurants, and ensuring all the details are in place to keep everyone comfortable and supported during the mission. 

We are thankful to everyone who helps make this work possible and are excited to return to Cuba later this year to continue helping patients in need. 

-Lisa Fujimoto


Team Leader

Shakira Maria during screening with Dr. Kevin Bowers and Juan Jose Lopez PA

On our 2022 mission to Cuba, we met Shakira Maria Linares. This amazing young woman has been living with rheumatoid arthritis since she was an infant. Read about our first meeting and why return missions are so important to both our patients and our organization. 

In November of 2024, I met this humanitarian team. I was amazed that the team had made it to Cuba. I saw them arriving at the hospital and my heart was happy yet nervous at the same time. My turn to be interviewed and examined came and I will never forget what they told me: 

“You are qualified and fit for surgery, but we have a problem. You are very small, and all of our implants are of standard measure. They are much too large to fit.”

They calmed me down and said they’d see what they could do. After waiting long into the afternoon, all patients were escorted into the hospital theater to receive the final word on who’d qualified for surgery. 

It wasn’t me. I hadn't qualified because of my small size.

After the announcements were made, Dr. Paul Gilbert, their team leader, approached me. He told me that my hips couldn't be replaced this mission, but he was going to take x-rays, study the measurements and find my true size. When they returned, he said they'd bring the correct implants. That was an emotional moment for me. The team didn't leave me helpless but filled me with enthusiasm and hope. That's how Operation Walk is, helping patients and bringing joy to our hearts. 

I wait for them with the hope that they will bring my implants and give me a better quality of life. I dream of going out again, walking, climbing stairs, riding my bicycle, which I like so much and accompanying my mom to her doctor's appointments. In short, I look forward to a life without any pain. 

With love and hope in my heart,

Shakira María Linares Peña 

A heartfelt thank you to BARK Box for their generous donation to our Angels Luncheon!

BARK Box donated a tail-waggingly fun raffle prize to help us raise funds for our upcoming Operation Walk LA medical mission to Cuba this October.

We’re so grateful for their support! Follow them @barkbox and check out the good they’re doing with #barkforgood.

Thank you, BARK Box, for helping us bring healing and hope, one box, one mission, and one paw at a time.

Roshy Khorsand

These past few months, we’ve highlighted student volunteers who’ve shared their time and talents in support of Operation Walk. During this special edition of our newsletter, we celebrate the graduation of eight promising young team members. Thank you all for being a part of the OpWalk family. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of you.

Middle School Graduates:

Madison Yamaguchi, Haley Ahir, Ethan Chang, and Alex Mendez

Westside Neighborhood School

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the WNS (Westside Neighborhood School) SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion) team: Madison Yamaguchi, Ethan Chang, Haley Ahir, and Alex Melendez, who recently graduated from WNS! 

Over the past two years, they have demonstrated compassion, leadership, and a strong commitment to service through their partnership with Operation Walk Los Angeles. 

Their journey began in the 7th grade with SPLASH (Solving Problems for Los Angeles' Society and Health), the first phase of their two-year capstone project. During this phase, they collected toiletries and assembled post-op care bags for patients in the Philippines and Cuba in 2024. 

In the 8th grade, they launched the second phase of their project, SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion), building on their previous efforts to make an even greater impact. The team met with medical professionals, including Dr. Paul Gilbert, Michelle Sullivan, and Amy Hirata to learn more about Operation Walk’s mission. With the support of Amy Hirata and Felicia Renty, they organized a successful equipment drive at Verdugo Hills Hospital, collecting walkers, crutches, and canes. They also designed and assembled additional post-op care bags and helped organize and pack cargo for the upcoming Cuba mission in 2025. 

May they continue to inspire others through their dedication, heart, and leadership. 

We wish them the very best as they begin the next chapter of their journeys:

Madison Yamaguchi – Geffen Academy at UCLA

Haley Ahir – Geffen Academy at UCLA

Ethan Chang – Crossroads School

Alex Melendez – Pacifica Christian High School 

High School Graduates:

Molly Anderson and Sarina Parks

La Canada High School

Molly Anderson has been volunteering with Operation Walk since she was just five years old. She has worked on countless fundraisers, packed endless amounts of cargo and joined us on missions to Guatemala and Cuba. Next year, she plans to attend Santa Barbara City College and study law.

Sarina Parks has volunteered with Operation Walk for the past two years, helping to collect donations of Durable Medical Equipment for our 2024 missions and accompanying the team to the Philippines last summer. This fall, she plans to attend Brown University and join the Track and Field team. Sarina will focus her studies on the Biological Sciences in hopes of pursuing a career in the medical field.

College Graduates:

Elin Kairies and Samantha See

Cornell College

Elin Kairies joined us for our mission to the Philippines last July. She graduated this spring with her BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and has recently moved to San Jose, CA, from her home in Minnesota. Currently, she is working on obtaining her Phlebotomy license and will apply to medical school in the next two years, focusing on schools found both on the West Coast and in the Midwest. 

Samantha See volunteered in 2023 on our mission to Arusha, Tanzania. This May, she graduated from Cornell College with a BA in Kinesiology - Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology. In August, she will begin a 1-year ABSN (accelerated bachelor of science in nursing) program at Drake University in Des Moines, and test for her RN at the end of next summer. Since graduation, she’s been back at home in Decorah, Iowa, working at WinMed hospital as a Patient Care Tech on the Med/Surg floor.

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Annual Angels Luncheon. We’ll be gathering on September 10, 11:00 AM at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena, California. 

This invitation is open to all Angels, former Angels, and prospective new members. When you become an Angel, you become a part of someone’s road to recovery. Our luncheon provides a chance to connect with other Angels, hear updates about future missions, witness what your support has helped to accomplish over the past year, and hear from both volunteers and patients who have been touched by your generosity.

Your annual $1,000.00 Angel contribution includes an invitation to the Angels Luncheon as well as exclusive content to our mission, patient stories, and more. As always, 100% of your tax-deductible donation is allocated to medical missions and patient care. 

If you'd like to invite a guest, please contact us. We also encourage you to share this email so others are able to experience Operation Walk’s ability to change lives through joint replacement surgery. Thank you for helping us expand the reach of this unique philanthropic group! 

RSVP NOW 

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Or call Marion at (424) 465-3600 

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Operation Walk wishes our followers, family, and friends a safe and Happy Independence Day. Let’s take this moment to celebrate our freedoms, cherish our independence, the diverse community in which we live and be thankful for the people in our lives who make living life truly memorable.